Reading Cluster: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RST.6-8.7. Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
RST.6-8.8. Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
RST.6-8.9. Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
Instructional Strategy: “It Says, I Say, and So” (adapted from Zwiers, 2005,)
Give students some background information on the topic to be studied and allow them to generate questions. (A variation of this is for you, the teacher, to determine the questions ahead of time. Scaffold in such a way that, as time goes on, students are able to generate their own questions.) Students may create a table with the following columns: QUESTION, IT SAYS, I SAY, AND SO. Have students write 3-5 questions under the first column (QUESTION). (Students may need some assistance with developing open-ended questions, which will help them complete the activity.
Have students read the text (or text sections) to help them answer the questions that are listed.
Have students use their inference skills to interpret the text in the I SAY column.
Students are then ready to answer the initial question in the last column. They do this by constructing an answer based upon the textual evidence (IT SAYS column) and their own interpretation of that evidence (I SAY column).
Instructional Strategy: “Fact VS. Opinion… the Critical Consumer” (Ginni Fair, 2012)
Discuss with students the difference in facts and opinions.
Generate a web with students that elaborates on HOW authors relate their facts and opinions. For example, the FACTS web may include such things as statistics, examples, factual details, etc. The OPINIONS web may include such things as propaganda, persuasive techniques, speculation, assumptions, etc.
Together with your students, go through a relatively short argumentative text and have students identify (either by labeling “F” and “O” or by using sticky notes or different colored highlighters) what is FACT and what is OPINION.
Explain that effective authors, in creating an argument, use their facts and opinions to generate a CONCLUSION that is a reasoned and rational, based upon facts and, in moderation, their opinions. Go back to the shared text and decide what CONCLUSION the author has drawn. This is often the PURPOSE of the reading.
Allow students to use a new text to go through steps 3 and 4.
Extension: (You could also use this exercise with students when they write argumentative pieces. Have them go through and label their FACTS and OPINIONS. Have they used them to generate a reasonable, rational, and well developed argument?)
Instructional Strategy: Scaffolding – Releasing Responsibility to Students
Standard 7 is pretty self explanatory, but don’t forget that students need to become increasingly independent in developing this skill. Initially, you may give your students charts, maps, graphs, etc., to label.
As time passes, allow students to create their own charts, diagrams, etc.
Similarly, you may give your students graphic organizers (e.g., webs, charts, guides, diagrams, outlines) for reading texts. As time passes, introduce the type of text and ask students to determine what kind of note-taking device would be appropriate. For example, if students determine that a text is descriptive, help them identify webs as an appropriate note-taking device for that type of text. As students become more strategic in using graphic representations of text and data, they become more independent and skilled as readers and thinkers.
1. Talk with students about the purpose of an ARGUMENT that authors may make within their texts. Explain that writers may disagree about issues and that it’s important to consider an author’s position as well as the evidence he/she uses to support his/her argument. 2. Discuss the kinds of evidence that may be strong evidence (e.g., statistics, facts, expert quotes, examples, etc.) and the kinds of evidence that may be weak evidence (e.g. opinions, assumptions, unfounded generalizations, etc.) Tell students that as they read, they should look for the position and the evidence that the author reveals. 3. Distribute the “Dueling Dialogue” worksheet. Explain that they will read two texts that present two different opinions. Guide them to label them as “article 1” and “article 2.” (see the bottom of the dialogue bubbles). 4. Explain that they will read article #1. In the first dialogue bubble, they should write the position under the “I believe…” starter and the evidence under the “because…” starter. 5. Students should then read article #2. In the response bubble on the first square, have students write the counterargument that the second author would say to the first article’s author. Then they should complete the second set of dialogue bubbles in a similar way (just flip-flopping the positions.) 6. Guide students in completing the bottom thought bubble. They should write their opinion and the evidence that supports their opinion. 7. Allow students to discuss their observations/conclusions in small groups and as a whole class. Guide them to talk about basing their judgments on the evidence that is presented. (The first time that students use this activity, teachers should go through most of the process with them.)
1. Distribute the I-Chart worksheet to students. (The worksheet that is attached can obviously be revised; it is set up for a review of resources on global warming.) Review the questions that they will be answering as they read about and explore the issue. 2. Take some time for students to go ahead and fill in the first row. It is appropriate for students, at this point, to put “I don’t know” in any of the cells of that particular row. 3. As each new resource is introduced, remind students that they will be reading/observing/listening for information that will help them answer the questions that are listed. Re-read the questions each time a new resource is introduced. Encourage students to take notes (they don’t have to write complete sentences at this point) in their charts as they read. 4. After all of the resources have been reviewed, have students fill in the last row with their conclusions based upon the many resources that they have read.
Instructional Strategy: “Fact VS. Opinion… the Critical Information Consumer”
1. Discuss with students the difference in facts and opinions. 2. Generate a web with students that elaborates on HOW authors relate their facts and opinions. For example, the FACTS web may include such things as statistics, examples, factual details, etc. The OPINIONS web may include such things as propaganda, persuasive techniques, speculation, assumptions, etc. 3. Together with your students, go through one argumentative text and have students identify (either by labeling “F” and “O” or by using sticky notes or different colored highlighters) what is FACT and what is OPINION. 4. Explain that effective authors, in creating an argument, use their facts and opinions to generate a CONCLUSION that is reasoned and rational, based upon facts and, in moderation, their opinions. Go back to the shared text and decide what CONCLUSION the author has drawn. This is often the PURPOSE of the reading. 5. Allow students to use a new text to go through steps 3 and 4. 6. Have students write a conclusion paragraph, using the following starters:
One author believes that…
The other author believes that…
I believe that…
One reason is that…
Another reason is that…
Extension: (You could also use this exercise as a reflective/revision activity with students when they write argumentative pieces. Have them go through and label their FACTS and OPINIONS. Have they used them to generate a reasonable, rational, and well developed argument?)
- Give students some background information on the topic to be studied and allow them to generate questions. (A variation of this is for you, the teacher, to determine the questions ahead of time. Scaffold in such a way that, as time goes on, students are able to generate their own questions.) Students may create a table with the following columns: QUESTION, IT SAYS, I SAY, AND SO. Have students write 3-5 questions under the first column (QUESTION). (Students may need some assistance with developing open-ended questions, which will help them complete the activity.
- Have students read the text (or text sections) to help them answer the questions that are listed.
- Have students use their inference skills to interpret the text in the I SAY column.
- Students are then ready to answer the initial question in the last column. They do this by constructing an answer based upon the textual evidence (IT SAYS column) and their own interpretation of that evidence (I SAY column).
Instructional Strategy: “Fact VS. Opinion… the Critical Consumer” (Ginni Fair, 2012)- Discuss with students the difference in facts and opinions.
- Generate a web with students that elaborates on HOW authors relate their facts and opinions. For example, the FACTS web may include such things as statistics, examples, factual details, etc. The OPINIONS web may include such things as propaganda, persuasive techniques, speculation, assumptions, etc.
- Together with your students, go through a relatively short argumentative text and have students identify (either by labeling “F” and “O” or by using sticky notes or different colored highlighters) what is FACT and what is OPINION.
- Explain that effective authors, in creating an argument, use their facts and opinions to generate a CONCLUSION that is a reasoned and rational, based upon facts and, in moderation, their opinions. Go back to the shared text and decide what CONCLUSION the author has drawn. This is often the PURPOSE of the reading.
- Allow students to use a new text to go through steps 3 and 4.
- Extension: (You could also use this exercise with students when they write argumentative pieces. Have them go through and label their FACTS and OPINIONS. Have they used them to generate a reasonable, rational, and well developed argument?)
Instructional Strategy: Scaffolding – Releasing Responsibility to StudentsDueling Dialogue (Jason & Ginni Fair, 2012)
1. Talk with students about the purpose of an ARGUMENT that authors may make within their texts. Explain that writers may disagree about issues and that it’s important to consider an author’s position as well as the evidence he/she uses to support his/her argument.
2. Discuss the kinds of evidence that may be strong evidence (e.g., statistics, facts, expert quotes, examples, etc.) and the kinds of evidence that may be weak evidence (e.g. opinions, assumptions, unfounded generalizations, etc.) Tell students that as they read, they should look for the position and the evidence that the author reveals.
3. Distribute the “Dueling Dialogue” worksheet. Explain that they will read two texts that present two different opinions. Guide them to label them as “article 1” and “article 2.” (see the bottom of the dialogue bubbles).
4. Explain that they will read article #1. In the first dialogue bubble, they should write the position under the “I believe…” starter and the evidence under the “because…” starter.
5. Students should then read article #2. In the response bubble on the first square, have students write the counterargument that the second author would say to the first article’s author. Then they should complete the second set of dialogue bubbles in a similar way (just flip-flopping the positions.)
6. Guide students in completing the bottom thought bubble. They should write their opinion and the evidence that supports their opinion.
7. Allow students to discuss their observations/conclusions in small groups and as a whole class. Guide them to talk about basing their judgments on the evidence that is presented. (The first time that students use this activity, teachers should go through most of the process with them.)
I-Chart
1. Distribute the I-Chart worksheet to students. (The worksheet that is attached can obviously be revised; it is set up for a review of resources on global warming.) Review the questions that they will be answering as they read about and explore the issue.
2. Take some time for students to go ahead and fill in the first row. It is appropriate for students, at this point, to put “I don’t know” in any of the cells of that particular row.
3. As each new resource is introduced, remind students that they will be reading/observing/listening for information that will help them answer the questions that are listed. Re-read the questions each time a new resource is introduced. Encourage students to take notes (they don’t have to write complete sentences at this point) in their charts as they read.
4. After all of the resources have been reviewed, have students fill in the last row with their conclusions based upon the many resources that they have read.
Instructional Strategy: “Fact VS. Opinion… the Critical Information Consumer”
1. Discuss with students the difference in facts and opinions.
2. Generate a web with students that elaborates on HOW authors relate their facts and opinions. For example, the FACTS web may include such things as statistics, examples, factual details, etc. The OPINIONS web may include such things as propaganda, persuasive techniques, speculation, assumptions, etc.
3. Together with your students, go through one argumentative text and have students identify (either by labeling “F” and “O” or by using sticky notes or different colored highlighters) what is FACT and what is OPINION.
4. Explain that effective authors, in creating an argument, use their facts and opinions to generate a CONCLUSION that is reasoned and rational, based upon facts and, in moderation, their opinions. Go back to the shared text and decide what CONCLUSION the author has drawn. This is often the PURPOSE of the reading.
5. Allow students to use a new text to go through steps 3 and 4.
6. Have students write a conclusion paragraph, using the following starters: